Present automated packaging machines such as those that perform filling, capping and labelling functions place difficult and somewhat inconsistent burdens on conveyor systems which service them. Feeder conveyor systems must be capable of holding back product to match the needs of the machines yet avoid damage to the produce caused by the dragging of the belt along the bottom of the goods and by the pressure on the goods as they back up against the holding device. In addition, on request, these machines often require a conveyor system to transition from a dead stop to sixty to one hundred or more units of goods per minute. Many present conveyor systems are designed to deliver at full speed or not at all, without provision for buffering their delivery to continuously accommodate the needs of the machine serviced.